Bridging the IP knowledge gap in developing countries

• Author: R. Mark Davis - Emilie van den Berkhof
• Position: President and CEO - Pro Bono Coordinator, Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors (PIIPA)
• Pages: 7-9

p. 7WIPO | MAGAZINE

What if an inventor, public interest organization, indige nous

group, small or medium-sized business, or even a develop-

ing country’s intellectual proper ty (IP) ofce nee ded IP legal

counsel but could not af ford it or did not have local acces s

to the required knowledge? What would they do? How would

they be able to protect their IP assets or acc ess the information

they needed? One option is to take advantage of the pro bo no

(free) legal counsel provide d by the US-based international

nonprot organization, Public Interest Intellectual Property

Advisors (PIIPA).

IP RESOURCES AT THE RIG HT TIME AND IN THE RIGHT

PLACE

If people are to enjoy the benets of the law, including I P law,

they need access to an ef fective system of justice. Only a frac-

tion of the world’s population, however, has the knowledge and

nancial means to take advantag e of IP legislation and use it to

promote innovation and creativity. Establish ed in 2002, PIIPA’s

overriding objective is to help br idge this gap. PIIPA primarily

focuses on operating a matchma king service a llowing those

seeking IP assistan ce (seekers) to apply to nd individual

volunteers or teams of IP special ists (providers) who offer free

advice and legal repre sentation on IP matters.

PIIPA uses three criteria to determine which req uests for as-

sistance to accept.

First, it determines whether the a ctivity for which PIIPA’s as-

sistance is sought is in the pub lic interest and suppor tive of

the interests of developing countrie s. Second, using a nan-

cial, needs-based test, it asses ses whether the seeker has

the nancial means to pay for professi onal assistance in the

absence of PIIPA’s pro bono assistance. And third, it applie s

an organizational test to determin e eligibility. Certain t ypes of

seekers, for example, such as developing country governments

and agencies, are automatica lly eligible for PIIPA’s services.

Other organizations, such as nonprot organizations and

developing country individuals or businesses, generally have

to satisfy at least one of the three e ligibility criter ia.

BRIDGING THE IP

K NOW LEDGE GAP

in developing countries By R. Mark Davi s, President and C EO

and Emilie van d en Berkhof, Pro Bono

Coordinator, Public Interest Intellectual

Propert y Advisors (PIIPA)

Photo: Courtesy of PI IPA

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PIIPA is workin g with agri cultural pro ducers in developin g countries to help th em generate higher a nd

more sustai nable incomes by usin g IP to improve the bra nd value of their produc ts.